Replacement To Ocean Rock

[lgarvey]

Hi,

I got a load of wonderful, white, ocean rock for my mbuna tank and it looks awesome... for about the first 4 weeks. Now the rock is dark and covered in algae. I use rowaphos and limit the lighting etc. but the algae is still an issue.

I'm thinking about getting some darker rock that won't show up algae and am wondering what people recommend for an mbuna tank?

Cheers,

L

 

[Pleccy]

I would recommend slate. However you need to be careful with it as it often contains iron, especially spanish slate. The iron will wash out of the rock and turn it a rusty-orange colour. Try and obtain welsh slate if you can, as this is of a higher quality.

 

[lgarvey]

I would recommend slate. However you need to be careful with it as it often contains iron, especially spanish slate. The iron will wash out of the rock and turn it a rusty-orange colour. Try and obtain welsh slate if you can, as this is of a higher quality.

Where can I get welsh slate from? I live about 50 miles from North Wales, so I expect it's plentiful. Would somewhere like B&Q sell it?

L

 

[Pleccy]

I would recommend slate. However you need to be careful with it as it often contains iron, especially spanish slate. The iron will wash out of the rock and turn it a rusty-orange colour. Try and obtain welsh slate if you can, as this is of a higher quality.

Where can I get welsh slate from? I live about 50 miles from North Wales, so I expect it's plentiful. Would somewhere like B&Q sell it?

L

They might sell it but the best place would be a builders merchant, such as Travis perkins, or an aggregate supplier.

 

[kj23502]

Even slate shows algea. I've had it in my tank since Feb or March. It turns green and the brown as the algea dies off and then comes back again. It's a never ending battle, really.



Kj

 

[lgarvey]

DAMN!

What will hide the algae?

Some kind of dark, black coloured rock?

L

 

[Ferris]

Algae is your friend and the fish love it - don't be so quick to try and get rid of it. Very natural for an Mbuna setup

 

[Pleccy]

Even slate shows algea. I've had it in my tank since Feb or March. It turns green and the brown as the algea dies off and then comes back again. It's a never ending battle, really.



Kj

Yes it will still show the algae but it won't be so evident on the rocks.

 

[lgarvey]

Even slate shows algea. I've had it in my tank since Feb or March. It turns green and the brown as the algea dies off and then comes back again. It's a never ending battle, really.



Kj

Yes it will still show the algae but it won't be so evident on the rocks.

I bit the bullet and bought more ocean rock. I may regret this in a few months, but oh well! You can tell there's some old bits that have a different colour.

http/www.lyndongarvey.co.uk/ocean-rock.jpg

L

 

[aaronnorth]

take a look at the algae guide in my sig and see how you can fix the problem. I agree though, mbuna need some algae in their diet.

 

[doresy]

I am hoping to set up a Malawi tank with loads of ocean rock. I too was concerned about algae as anything white seems to attract growth.

My plan is to aquire more rock than I intend to have in the tank so when it does become an eyesore (a little is good) then I can remove it and replace with my surplus stock.
Then I can clean the rock at my leisure for the next change over.

I have a high pressure washer with a pencil nozzle that have never had detergent through it which I think will make short work of cleaning off the algae. It certainly blasts algae off my patio!

Obviously prevention is better than cure so reading up on algae type/causes will give a better understanding on how to slow its growth.

 

[helterskelter]

I have loads of the stuff, and i hardly have to clean it, couple of BN plecos or sucking loach and they keep most at bay.
How ever when it dose need cleaning the best way is place as much as u can in a bucket cover it all with boiling water and add a little thin bleach.....
Note the thin bleach, Dont use think what so ever.

Let it stand there for 24-48 hours and it will then look quite good.

Wash off with fresh hot water and a large dose of aquasafe to remove to bleach.

 

[lgarvey]

I have loads of the stuff, and i hardly have to clean it, couple of BN plecos or sucking loach and they keep most at bay.
How ever when it dose need cleaning the best way is place as much as u can in a bucket cover it all with boiling water and add a little thin bleach.....
Note the thin bleach, Dont use think what so ever.

Let it stand there for 24-48 hours and it will then look quite good.

Wash off with fresh hot water and a large dose of aquasafe to remove to bleach.

Yeh, the BN plecos would have been a good idea. I have 3 catfish in there now, though, and I'm at capacity for a 75L tank, so it's a no go-er.

I think I'll work on keeping the phosphate as low as possible. There's already a tonne of rowaphos in there. This should retard the spread of the dreaded algae!

L